UK may join EU border security system

Britain could join a proposed new EU system to enhance border security and combat illegal migration through satellite surveillance and fingerprinting of all foreign visitors, it emerged yesterday.

The scheme, put forward by Franco Frattini, the EU justice and security commissioner, would apply to the 24-nation passport-free Schengen zone, recently expanded to include countries in eastern Europe.

Britain and Ireland have so far refused to join Schengen in order to retain their own strict border controls, but officials indicated that Britain may decide to opt in to the new Frattini scheme.

The scheme, due to take effect by 2015, includes proposals for electronic travel authorisation or automated electronic "entry-exit" checking systems which could trigger alarms in all EU countries. Frequent travellers who never outstay their visas and possess biometric passports would gain fast-track entry.

The Home Office said the UK planned to bring in electronic checks on all foreigners entering or leaving the country by the end of the year, with all visa applicants already fingerprinted before they travel.

Frattini, who has already registered his iris at Heathrow, said it was up to the UK to decide whether to join and urged the British authorities to ensure their entry-exit system was interoperable with those of other European states.

Home Office officials said: "We are keen to see where we can help our European partners put tougher controls in place across Europe." Britain fears that frequent business travellers could bypass UK airports and fly direct to continental airports to escape twin border checks. Frattini said his scheme, which would cost billions of euros and be known as Eurosur (European Border Surveillance System), would cut illegal migration, reduce deaths of would-be migrants at sea and combat crime and terrorism.

Senior EU officials insisted that the plans would balance the need for heightened border security with strict data protection, but they have already been criticised as an invasion of privacy and a device to keep out unwanted economic migrants from the world's poorest, often conflict-ridden, regions such as Africa.

Jean Lambert, a British Green MEP, said: "There is no evidence to suggest that more pervasive data collection will offer any greater degree of security."

The Frattini scheme comes on top of plans to collect 19 separate pieces of information on airline passengers flying into the EU and of US demands for armed marshals to accompany all European flights to America.